Spring First-Year Road to UM Checklist

Starting in October, you will receive a series of messages to your UM email providing step-by-step assistance with your Road to UM tasks, such as course registration, orientation registration instructions, and more. We will also introduce you to your first course, Road to UM, which is a series of 10 online modules that will prepare you for a successful start to your college career.

Be sure to regularly check back for updates. This list will expand with additional steps for you to complete as they become available throughout the fall.

• Submit your enrollment deposit

  To secure enrollment, you must submit your $500 nonrefundable enrollment deposit by the due date indicated on your admission letter. This payment can be made by credit card or electronic check.

  Log in to the Applicant Portal to complete the Reply to Offer of Admission form and submit your $500 nonrefundable enrollment deposit.

• Interested in changing your major? Request a change through the Applicant Portal.

  Submit the Change of Major Request form in the Applicant Portal. Submission of the form does not guarantee your major will be changed. Undergraduate Admission will email you regarding your approval status as soon as possible.

  If your major is in the Frost School of Music or the School of Architecture and you did not submit standardized test scores, you will not be able to change your major out of your respective school until after you have completed a year of courses at the University of Miami.

• International students, familiarize yourself with policies and procedures for International Students and Scholars (ISSS)

  ISSS facilitates enrollment, retention, and graduation for international students and ensures successful experiences for international scholars (faculty and researchers) by providing information, services, acclimation, and culturally relevant activities.

• Mid-October: Set up your @miami.edu email

  You will be notified when your UM email has been assigned. Once assigned, all University information will be sent there, rather than your personal email address. This includes information on registration appointments, financial aid, billing, grades, and student life. 

  Be sure to follow the instructions for accessing your UM email and to check it daily. 

  1. Set up your Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), an additional level of security. If you have not yet been prompted to do so, you will have to set up your MFA authentication in order to access your UM email. To enroll, visit caneid.miami.edu and click “Enroll in Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).” If you have trouble setting up your MFA, contact the UM Information Technology (UMIT) Support Center at 305-284-6565 or itsupportcenter@miami.edu.
  2. Set up your UM email. Visit mail.miami.edu and sign in with your Cane ID username and password. Link your UM email account to the email address you use most. 
  3. Link your UM email to your mobile device. For instructions, visit miami.edu/mobileconfig.

• Mid-October: Begin work on your first course, Road to UM, in Blackboard

  This graded, online course is located in Blackboard, UM’s student learning portal. It will include seven modules that will guide you through the steps to be completed before your arrival to campus, and three more to be completed in your first semester.

  You will be notified via your UM email once the course becomes available. Keep an eye on your inbox for this!

  You will also receive an email each time a new module is added to the course. Modules will be assigned as they become relevant to your journey on the Road to UM, along with due dates for each. Stay on track and up-to-date to ensure a smooth transition to your first year at UM.

• November: Apply for on-campus housing, search for a roommate, and choose a meal plan.

  Apply before December 1 through CaneLink. Housing applications received after the December 1 deadline will be added to a waitlist until an available space can be identified.

  Students who apply early receive greater priority for selecting single rooms, making room changes, and receiving earlier room selection appointment times for future academic years.

  Access the On-Campus Housing Portal on your CaneLink Student Homepage. A sample housing agreement, an application tutorial, and the housing rates for the coming year are available on the housing website.

  You will be required to submit a $500 prepayment via credit card as part of the application process. The prepayment will be applied to your University student account.

  Select a Meal Plan

  All first-year residents must choose between the unlimited meal plan, 19-meal plan, or 14-meal plan. Students who do not select a meal plan upon enrollment in housing will automatically be signed up for the unlimited meal plan. In CaneLink, under “UM Housing Portal,” go to the meal plan step and make your selection. You will be able to make changes to your plan in CaneLink up to two days before housing opens. 

  Students living off-campus may choose from any of the residential and commuter meal plans. To sign up, email diningservices@miami.edu and provide your full name, student number, and meal plan choice.

  Find a roommate

  The housing application process includes a section where you can complete a roommate profile by answering a series of questions about your lifestyle preferences, academic and social pursuits, and other roommate-related topics. If you would like to join the roommate search process, you’ll be assigned a username and asked to provide a brief description of yourself. The program then suggests potential roommates based on your responses and mutually confirmed roommates create a roommate group.

  Questions? Email Department of Housing and Residential Life at housing@miami.edu

• November: If you live in Miami-Dade or Broward counties with your family and plan on commuting to campus, apply for a waiver for the first-year residency requirement

  If you choose to live off-campus, submit a live-on exemption request via the On-Campus Housing Portal.

  All first-year students are required to live in University housing for their first two academic semesters, with the exception of first-year students who:

  • live with their parents or a legal guardian in Miami-Dade or Broward County
  • have been out of high school for more than one calendar year
  • are married and/or have dependent children
  • for disciplinary or administrative reasons, are denied the privilege of living on campus

• Upcoming and throughout Fall: Complete financial assistance To Do items

  The University cannot award financial assistance until all required documentation is received and reviewed by the Office of Student Financial Assistance and Employment (OSFAE). If you are interested in receiving any type of financial assistance and have completed the application process:

  1. Check your UM email often for award notifications or requests for more information from OSFAE.
  2. Monitor your Financial Assistance Student Portal for outstanding actions or required documents.
     1. In CaneLink select Go To Student Center and then View Financial Aid.
     2. Select the 2021+ aid year to reach the financial aid student portal.
     3. From the portal home page, select Accept Awards from the drop-down menu.
     4. Accept/decline/reduce all or any portion of your awards and loan offers. To reduce a loan award, update the amount in the box and click Accept, then Submit.

     Documents received or requested will be displayed on the home page.

  3. Read terms and conditions for financial assistance at miami.edu/terms.

• Upcoming and throughout Fall: Notify the Office of Student Financial Assistance and Employment of any outside scholarship award information

  Outside resources such as outside scholarships and veterans’ benefits must be considered when calculating your eligibility for some need-based aid and, in the case of veterans’ benefits, eligibility for institutional need-based aid.

  Please complete the Outside Scholarship Submission Form to submit award information.

• December: Course Registration

  When the time comes, your school or college will email you directly with details about registration and advising. School-specific instructions to register for courses and step-by-step videos on how to register for classes in CaneLink are available at miami.edu/newstudentregister.